Valve-spring lifter



H. W KULP.

VALVE SPRING LIFTER.

APPLlCATION FILED APR.21. 1919.

Patented Feb.10,1920.

2 SHEETSSHEE-T l.

INVENTOIi.

H. W. KULP.

VALVE SPRING LIFTER.

APPLlCATlON FILED APR.21,

Patented Feb. 10,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 II &

INVENTOR.

BY MM 1 3% WITNESS:

A TTORNEX;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY W. KULP, 0F LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

VALVE-SPRING LIFTER.

Application filed April 21, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY \V. KULP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ya-lve- Spring Lifters, of which the following is a specification.

To remove a valve from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine it is necessary to-compress and lift the valve spring for permitting the withdrawal of the key or other removable device which holds the spring in place in the valve stem. For this purpose tools known as valve spring lifters have been employed, consisting of two j awcarrying levers or arms pivoted together and having somewhat the movement and aspect of pliers, so that the lower aw may be made to bear on a fixed base while the upper jaw will bear against the lower end of the valve spring and be moved upward; or sometimes the jaws are caused to bear respectively on the upper and lower ends of the spring and will compress the latter when they are moved toward each other.

The chief object of my present invention is to insure the absolute parallelism of the jaws of the tool in every position of its levers. To eiiect this I pivot the jaws to the ends of said levers and provide each jaw with an elongated tail connected to the lever of the other jaw at a oint between the pivot of the two levers and the handle end of the tool, these parts being arranged and connected so that the action of the crossed tails on the jaws as the said handle end opens or closes will turn said jaws on their pivots just enough to compensate for the change of inclination of the forward parts of the levers and to keep said jaws parallel to each other. Incidentally this construction pro duces a sim le tool which is unusually strong and e icient. Play is also provided between the pivoted ends of the tails and the levers to prevent binding and the jaws are made with openings of difi'erent sizes to fit valve stems and springs of different diameters. The tool is readily reversible and the pivoted jaws, being removable and identical in construction, are interchangeable.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a valve litter embodying my invention, showing one position of opening in full lines, an

Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

Serial No. 291.492.

other in dotted lies, the jaws being parallel inboth.

Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the same.

Fig. 5 represents a detail view, broken away, of the part of one of the levers containing the groove or slot, the end of the tail and the pivot being shown beside it.

Figs. 3 and i represent detail views of the jaws to illustrate the two sizes of openings, and

Figs. 6 and 7 represent on a smaller scale the tool as applied to a valve spring, with certain proximate parts.

A and A designate, respectively, the levers pivoted together at a. B and B designate the two jaws pivoted at b 7) to the forward ends of said levers. Jaw B, pivoted to the end of lever A, has a tapering tail C rigid and preferably integral therewith and extending obliquely across to lever A at a point between pivot a and the handle end of the tool. The end of said tail is there connected to lever A by a removable pivot pin D entering a short recess or groove (5 of this lever A, which allows play enough to prevent binding. In like manner jaw B, pivoted to the end of lever A, has a similar tail C extending rearwardly obliquely across to lever A at a point corresponding to that reached by thetail C and having a similar attachment of the end of tail C to lever A by another like pivot pin D in a similar recess or groove (Z. These tails C C cross each other, the arrangement of the parts being such that the opening of the handle end of the tool, moves the jaws toward each other and the closing of said handle end spreads the jaws apart; but in every position the pull or push of the crossed tails C C on the jaws B B turns them on their pivots so as to compensate for the changing inclination of the forward ends of the levers and keep said jaws always parallel to each other.

As the two jaws are counterparts, including their tails, they are interchangeable and either of them m. y be removed and repaired or replaced without disturbing the other. As best shown in Figs. 3 and i, the jaws have openings E E of different sizes. Of course, still other jaws of other sizes of opening may be substituted, making the tool available for many different types and sizes of motors. In use one of these jaws is made to bear upwar d against the valve spring G while straddling the valve stem F, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the other jaw having a bearing on the tappet or a part of the caslng below it.

By the use of this tool it is practicable to raise the valve spring without equally raising the valve, so as to permit convenient access to the lock key H or any alternative spring retaining device. The two jaws may also be applied respectively above and below the spring as in Fig. 7 for compressing it between them, as is done with divers springremoving and spring-inserting tools.

The lifter is of steel and formed by dies, making it light and strong.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new. and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A valve-spring-lifting tool comprising a pair of levers pivoted together, jaws pivoted horizontally on the said levers for vertical movement, and means for turning the said jaws on their pivots to compensate for the changing position of the levers and keep said jaws parallel to each other.

2. A valve-spring-lit'ting tool comprising a pair of levers pivoted together, and a pair of jaws, eachof which is pivoted on one of said levers and provided with a tail extend-- ing rearwardly and obliquely and pivoted to the other lever to provide for moving the jaws on their forward pivots so as to compensate for the changing positions of the levers and maintain parallelismot the jaws.

3. The combination of a pair of pivoted levers with jaws adapted to straddle a valve stem and pivoted on the forward ends of said levers, these jaws being provided with rearwardly extending crossing tails, each of which has pivotal connection with the lever opposite that which carries said jaw.

4:. A valve-spring-lifting tool comprising two levers pivoted together, a pair of jaws pivoted on the ends of such levers, a tail rigid with each of said jaws and each of which tails extends from one of said jaws to the opposite lever and is pivotally attached thereto by means permitting slight play at this point.

5. A valve-spring-lifting tool comprising a pair of levers pivoted together, and a pair of removable and interchangeable jaws, each said jaws being attached to said levers respectively and mounted onthe opposite ends thereof and each jaw being adapted to straddle a valve stem and bear against a valve spring.

6. A valve-spring-lifting tool comprising a pair of levers and a pair of pivoted removable interchangeable jaws, pivoted for vertical movement on the operative ends of said levers respectively and means for holding them parallel to each other.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY W. KULP.

Witnesses:

D. ll'l. KULP, WM, H. For:

provided with 

